while redoing my 67 rs-ss, i purposely did not redo the engine for fear that the block would have to be decked. i put a timing chain in it along with nos oil pan and intake gaskets and that was it. i feel that if you have to replace the vin, you should not restamp it. my 05A Z-28 has the vin stamped by the oil filter, but had the block decked in 1979, before original was important. i dont "THINK" it is wrong to just put the engine numbers back as long as it does not include the vin. just my .02cents

This boils down to a question of ethics. If you lost your drivers license and it was cheaper to go down to Los Angeles to buy a replacement would you do it, most likely not because you would be encouraging the criminal element. I think the same applys here, the shops that do this type of work on not making money helping out poor guys who "mistakenly" ground off their Vin and engine numbers, they are making money helping people fake high dollar cars to get more money out of the sale at some point. I wouldn't restamp it because you cannot control the guy who owns the car 3 owners down the line who is selling it as original, someone will get burned by this car at some point.

I have a question to pose here. This won't help the discussion, but rather raise more questions.

Most of the COPO cars, Yenko cars, SS big blocks, Z/28's, etc. were bought with the intent of beating the pi$$ out of them. That being said, what is the liklihood that so many of these cars retained their original engines & transmissions post racing? Remember, back in the mid-1970's, big block engines were a dime-a-dozen. Also, who among us doesn't remember one or more late night engine swaps due to spun bearings, thrown rods, etc.?

I just wonder what will happen when an engine block shows up on eBay or else where that has the VIN of an "already existing"engine. just think of that recent sale of the tractor trailers full of GM muscle cars & engines. I wonder if any of those blocks haveduplicates already installed.

My 63 Corvette's block had been partially decked.3 of the original numbers are still visible. (off to one side)

A good friend of mine is a detective with the local police auto theft division.

He worked on my pad for few hours. We finally had to stop, The existing numbers were starting to suffer.

That stuff only works when you don't care what you end up with.In other words, it can turn the whole pad into shadows. The acid removes the metal, untill the shadow of the numbers are all that is visible.It works great when someone has tried to scratch out the numbers.Not so good when the top of the pad has been decked away.

I decided to just keep what little bit I had. Not going to restamp, NEVER - just going to leave it the way it is.Once it is stamped - it will alway be a restamp.

NCRS knows when those numbers are restamped. (because of the huge database)They deduct points same as if it is a repro part. With NO numbers - you would get a bigger deduction.

When I sell the car, I can honestly say that "those are the original numbers" - just some are missing.